Plug with adjustable lock



Feb. 4, 1958 A. MOELLER PLUG WITH ADJUSTABLE LOCK Filed Sept. 28, 1956 INVENTOR AXEL MO ELLER AT TORNE YS United States Patent O F PLUG WITH ADJUSTABLE LOCK Axel Moeller, Racine, Wis., assignor to Mueller Mfg. Co., Racine, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application September 28, 1956, Serial No. 612,845

4 Claims. (Cl. 22024.5)

This invention appertains to plugs and stoppers of the general type shown in my prior Patents Numbers 2,292,149; 2,315,538; 2,347,835 and 2,729,353 issued respectively on August 4, 1942; April 6, 1943; May 2, 1944 and January 3, 1956, and more particularly to a novel plug especially adapted for closing and sealing drain openings or ports in small boats, the plug, however, being suitable for other uses.

One of the primary objects of my present invention is to provide a simple and effective means for preventing the accidental movement of the plug parts incident to vibration, whereby the plug will be maintained in its predetermined, adjusted, set position.

Another salient object of the invention is to provide a positive means for locking the parts of the plug together so that inadvertent or accidental separation of the parts will be eliminated and whereby loss of plug parts will be prevented.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a lock plate for holding plug parts in a predetermined set position irrespective of the movement of the operating lever to a plug-expanded or holding position or to a plug-contracted or released position.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a slidable lock plate movable longitudinally of the stem of the stopper to a locked or released position, the lock plate in its released position being rotatable with the lock lever and sleeve nut for permitting a desired change or set in the diameter of the resilient plug body.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which drawing,

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of my improved plug showing the lever in its raised, released position for permitting the insertion or removal of the plug into or out of an opening;

Figure 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view through the stopper in its released position;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but showing the lever in its lowered position for expanding the body of the stopper, the section being taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 5, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2, but showing the lock plate in its raised released position for permitting the turning of the lever and the sleeve nut to bring about a desired change in plug adjustment;

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the plug showing the lever in its lowered, locked position;

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, the view illustrating the means employed for latching the lock plate against accidental rotation, and

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view through the stopper body taken on the line 77 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter P generally indicates my improved plug and the same embodies a lower or inner plate construction 10 and a top or outer compression plate 11. Confined between the inner and outer plates 10 and 11 is the compressible body 12. This body 12 is formed from rubber or some other similar resilient compressible material.

The body 12 is of a general cylindrical shape and is provided with an axially disposed longitudinally extending way or bore 13 which opens out through the opposite ends of the body. The bottom or inner plate construction 10 is provided with stepped shoulders 14 so as to provide a reduced portion 15 which extends into the bore of the body. 7

Referring back to the body 12, it is to be noted that its outer or upper end is provided with an outstanding annular flange 16, the lower face of which is tapered inwardly, as at 17. This flange is adapted to engage the outer edge or lip of an opening, when the body of the plug is inserted in the opening. The outer surface of the plug 12, at least for a portion of its length, is provided with equidistantly spaced annular compressible ribs 18.

The upper or outer plate 11 is preferably, but not necessarily, formed from sheet metal, such as stainless steel and this plate is of a slightly greater diameter than the diameter of the annular flange 16. The plate is bonded to the outer end of the body 12 by the use of a suitable adhesive 19, and hence in effect, the body 12 and the plate 11 are of a unitary construction. The plate itself is provided with an axially disposed opening 20 and the plate is provided with one or more keeper notches 21 for a purpose, which will later appear.

The lower or inner plate 10 has rigidly secured thereto an axially disposed threaded stem 22 and this stem slidably extends through the bore 13 of the body 12. Received within the opening 20 of the plate 11 for turning and sliding movement is an elongated sleeve nut 23 and this sleeve nut is threaded on the stem 22 and this nut also is mounted for sliding and turning movement within the bore. This sleeve nut 23 extends appreciably beyond the plate 11.

- Pivoted to the upper end of the sleeve nut 23, as at 24, is the operating cam lever 25. As best shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the throws of the cam lever are adapted to press against the plate 11 when the throw lever is in its lowered, locked position for effectively bringing the plates 10 and 11 toward one another to bring about the longitudinal compression of the body 12 and the radial expansion of this body, as shown in Figure 3.

The cam lever 12 is of a construction shown in my mentioned prior patents, and this lever straddles the upper end of the sleeve nut. Obviously, by moving the lever 25 to its raised released position and then turning this lever and the sleeve nut, the body 12 can be initially compressed longitudinally and expanded radially to fit a desired sized opening and again when the lever is swung to its lowered locked position the body will be further radially expanded so that the body will firmly grip and seal the wall of an opening.

One of the important features of the present invention, is the provision of a lock plate 26 and this look plate is interposed between the cam lever 25 and the plate 11. The lock plate 26 can be in the nature of a metal stamping and includes a fiat bottom wall 27 and upstanding side confining walls 28. The lower wall 27 has also formed thereon outwardly flared limiting lips 29. The wall 27 is provided with a central opening 30 which receives the sleeve nut 23. Hence, the lock plate 26 can rotate on the sleeve nut. This lock plate has formed thereon and Patented Feb. 4, 1958 I asses-tee struck out -therefrom-a-depending latchtongue 31; i which is adapted to be received in a selected keeper notch 21. A light expansion spring 32 iscoiled about the sleeve nut 23 and =i's eohfiited betwfi thepwmwana sf tsli ptte antlthisspring fuiictibii=tonoi nilly ii i lockpl'a't ageing the out'ei' c p times arid when rue latch" tbilg'fie keeper no'tchZT' this""t'oi1gu "illbe'h y the springi With thefpa e tfl'y dSkmbleilf-tlifiiil walls 28of thelock plat 'ce'i'v'e a'n confine th e'opfafl ing cam"-l'vei25 and"wh'1i the lock plate 26 is latchcd to the compression plate 11, turning' movEine nt'of tl'ie' operating" lever 12' is preventetl by the'erig'a gente of' the side walls28witlifthe" r Thaw-events tastiest/ea ent turningoftheopretting- 6' r 'ahddin'tfe the sleeve nut irrespective-'05"whether the operating lever; is" lowered compression position or iii ii's r'ai's'eti released position.

In use of the stopper, the lever 25 iss'wuti'g t'o raised released position and to initially adjustth'e stopper the lock plate is grasped andpull'ed outwardly againstth tension of thecQilspring S-Z;-so'as*tomovethelatch tongue 31 from out of 'i'ts keeper opening: At't his" time," the lever 25,th'elock platelfi an'd'the" sleeve nut"23 can'"b'e' rotated asa unit; When th'ebody-fl h'asb'e'en adjusted" to the desireddiamter, thelock' plate is released and upon theturningthereof thelat'chtongue '31 will ride into a keeper notch 21. The parts are all now locked together iri their predetermined; set position}'le'iiviii'gnie everzs free for rocking movement 'on its pivot 24 to briiig about the expansion {and'cor'itract'ionof'the body 12.

Various changesin details may hernade without depart ing fromthe spirit or the scope of this invention but'what' I claim as newi's: I

1. A plug comprising an elongated holl'ow centre's: sible body, an inner compressed plate engaging the inner end of the body, anouter compression plate en gaging and holding th'e'out'e'r end'ofthe" body', a"thre'ade'd stem secured "to"the"in'ner compressionplateahd" extending through the bodyflan elongated"slevef ntttslidably and rotatably' extending through' the outer coinprem sion plate" and into thebody andthr'eade'd on western, a cam lever-pivoted to the: u per end oftliesle 'evenuf-fbr movement toward and away from the outer compression plate, said lever and sleeve ntitf beingro'tatable relative 1o the outer compression-plate to initiallyadjiist the pos'i tion of the nut relative to the stem and to position flieiriner andoute'r compression-plates wwaaanaawwnum one another, andreleasablemeansfor-holding the lever and the sleeve nut ina-desiredfse't positionagains't'ac cidental rotation includinga lock plate interposed 'h'e -tween'the 'lever'and the-outer"compressionplatewotatabhr with the lever, and interengaging latch means between the lock plate and the outer compression plate normally holding the lock plate against rotation relative to the outer compression plate.

2. A plug comprising an elongated hollow compressible body, an inner compiessioiiplate engaging the inner end of the "body; anwnterjcompr ession' plate engaging and holding the outer end of the body, a threaded stem sewed: t l i; fifif'ssi fxandfi tr through the body, as endgam -sleeve nufslidably and rotatably extending through the outer compressionyplate and into the body and threaded on the stern, a cam lever pivoted to the upper-endof the slee'ir'e nut for movement toward and away from the outer compression plate, said lever and sleeve nut being rotatable relative to the outer compression plate to initially adjust the position of the nut relative to the stem and toposition the inner; and cute conipression plates towardand away frai yb s other, and releasablemeans' for holding the E erette thesleei'efnut' ina desired setposition against accidentalv r tmfi s ns ge t e li b l b fliitll if the sleeve nut andinterposedbetween'the outer ,coinpreis sion plate and the lever, spriiig' means netany urging. the lock pnte'mwa'rd' the outer compression plate, said outer compression plate having keeper; recesses, sa'id' locik late havin'g' a keeper tongue ,mov ablefinto and' out of; keeper recessior normally holding the lock plate against ro ation relative" to; the outer compression p ste; alias-sterner platebeifig' rotatable' with the lever a'n'dt'he sleevennt when the lock plate is moved toward'th e'lever awa' abm theouter compression plate with mama toiigue outof akee'p'er recess. I

'3; A lug; as defined iri'claini 2, andsa'id lock plate. having retaining side walls straddling the lever at all times. r t

4..-A plug as definedin' claim 2 andsaia lock plate,

*hivfii'giretainia side wallsfstraddlin'g the lock; leve at an times, and 'limiting end walls inthe pathof the swinging niovenientof the" lever.

Raine-magenta the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 gds-js saisj Carter June 2 1;; 19113} imslzsjs rimna rflfi uue May 16, 1922- 2,612.99 Protasotf Mar, 23; 1954* 2,685,386 Mae-11: Aug. 3, 19'54 x I v FDREIGNPATENTS I 531873 Sweden Feb. 21, 1923" 

